Remodeling projects are always a lot of work, but the results are well worth the effort. Refurbishing ceilings, walls, cabinets, and flooring in the proper order will minimize the risk of damage, reduce stress, and produce superior results. Here, we’ll look into the different installation options, with a focus on minimizing the risk of damage to ceilings, walls, and flooring:
Painting
It’s wise to finish painting your ceilings before installing your floors. There is very little risk that a flooring installation will damage your ceilings, but the tall ladders necessary to do ceiling work could scrape, scuff, or gouge your beautiful new floors.
Walls, on the other hand, should be painted after the flooring has been installed. Unlike your ceilings, walls and baseboards could be damaged during the installation process. Removing old carpet can scuff up your baseboards. Since the roll of carpet is the same width as the room, it’s easy to scrape walls as you position and install the new flooring. If you’re replacing tile, hardwood, or laminate flooring, the baseboards will likely have to be removed, then reinstalled or replaced. This frequently results in paint scratches, and it would be a shame to do this to your freshly painted walls. With tile, working with a trowel close to the walls runs the risk of chipping the paint on the baseboards. Installation of a wood or laminate floor means using tools near your baseboards and lower walls, sometimes resulting in scrapes and scratches.
Another reason to consider replacing your floors prior to painting is that the new flooring might not be the same height as the flooring being replaced. This can reveal a small unpainted, unsightly strip on your baseboards. You could also discover that the baseboards must be lowered, which isn’t something you’ll want to do after repainting the walls.
The primary fear most homeowners face regarding finishing floors before painting walls is the risk of paint drips, splatters, and spills on their brand new wood or carpet. Dripping paint on prefinished wood flooring isn’t so bad, since you can just let it dry, then peel it off with your fingernail. Dripping paint on carpeting, however, can be disastrous. To guard against drips, protect the floor with painter’s plastic or a tarp. Secure the edges along the walls with a straight line of tape. If your floor is carpet, place a strip of painter’s tape on the carpet, around the edges of the room. Use a putty knife to push the taped carpet fibers under the edge of the baseboard.
Cabinets
Generally, it’s best to install flooring before new cabinets and after old cabinets have been removed. Installing floors first provides the cleanest look, since the flooring just flows beneath the cabinets. It’s also safer for your cabinets, since it allows you to prevent possible nicks or stains that could occur during the installation or sanding process for the floors. Floating floors are an exception, and should be completed after the kitchen cabinets are installed. Floating floors move, and can therefore expand and contract. If a portion of the floor is trapped beneath heavy cabinets, it can’t move properly. This can create all sorts of problems – including bulging, buckling, and breaking.
Most of the time, the proper order of things is obvious: trousers before shoes; wash before dry. When it comes to flooring installation, however, the correct sequence isn’t always so clear. Homeowners diving into a remodel project often wonder where to start, but with a little planning and research your project can move along smoothly and without a hitch.